A thought popped in my head one night...

[Bex]

No: HPFGUIDX 112406

This just sort of popped in my head, almost in response to the 
Snape/Lily romance theories (which I don't buy into). Maybe there is 
something there, but we're not reading it right...

Chancie wrote:
> Lily was coming to defend Snape! The only think I can think is 
> because Snape was embarrassed, he called her "mudblood" to 
> try to divert the attention to someone else, and show himself as 
> a "tough guy", but that in NO way excuses his attitude towards 
> Lily!

Pippin thought:
> Maybe he was showing off his racist sentiments, but maybe he 
> was just tossing the worst insult he could think of at her--a bit 
> like Ron saying, "Get away from me, werewolf!" Ron did not say 
> that because he hated werewolves, he said it because he hated 
> Lupin.

> But I wonder why people make so much of Snape's insult and 
> ignore the utterly sexist "I will [leave Snape alone] if you go 
> out with me." What *that* says about Lily's honor, I don't like to 
> think.

Then, in another post, Magda wrote:
> I think what Snape picked up on was the same thing that has struck
> most readers: Lily wasn't defending Snape as much as she was raking
> James over the coals because he was acting like a jerk. Notice that
> she doesn't even mention Sirius? The only person she pays attention
> to is James - any girl who can reel off the detailed criticisms she
> has of him is not a girl who is indifferent to a guy. And of course
> James misses it by a mile - typical guy.

And Alla responded with:
> I have no problem acknowledging that Lily did pay attention to 
> everything James did,

> BUT are you saying that "Leave him alone" (I don't have a book 
> right now) does not show that she was also defeinding Snape?

Well, I'm going to throw this out in the water and see if it floats, 
so to speak:
Funny how Lily defends Snape. Yes, she is paying more attention to 
James, but she's backing up a Slytherin, and a Dark Arts fan. She 
probably knows the whole "pureblood mantra" of Slytherin, because 
she isn't confused by the Mudblood comment, so she's obviously heard 
it before. It's only when Snape insults her, calling her the worst 
name he can think of off the top of his head, that she gives up on 
defending him.

Maybe by this point, she has a little PHYSICAL crush on James. With 
the "fat head" comments, she clearly doesn't like him that much, but 
by this time it's moving toward a if-he-wasn't-so-arrogant-I'd-date-
him-in-a-heartbeat mentality. Not there yet, but getting there.

But, what if LILY had some feelings for SNAPE? Maybe she's sticking 
up for him not because he's helpless and outnumbered (he has enough 
talent to take on the Marauders at least one on one), but maybe she 
tried to be friends with him, or even had a little crush on him at 
one time. He probably never shared the feelings, but she tried to be 
friends with him, perhaps, and this scene was her not only being a 
fair, just little creature, but also helping Snapey out in a time of 
need. When he comes off with that comment (and note, that is the 
only time in canon he has ever used the term, or something like it), 
she finally decides he isn't worth the effort after all. I'm not 
saying it was a romance, or that we'll ever know (unless she told 
Petunia and she tells Harry, doubtful at best), but thought I'd toss 
it out there.

~Yb (ducks in cover waiting for rotten vegetables heading her way)